SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 21, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 9/26/17
In this edition:
*Apples!
*Versaland
*Local Food and Agri-Tourism
*Janesville
*Veteran’s Appreciation Tailgater
*Did You Know?
*Apples!
We
have apples, and you are welcome to take all you want! The tree is in the
backyard of our house at 2326 E. Court Street in Iowa City. Just bring a bucket
and stop by!
*Versaland
You
probably heard about the recent rezoning request from Grant Schultz, who lives
near Morse. Staff had urged the applicant to amend the request, but he demurred.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted it down 5-0. Again, the applicant was
offered an opportunity to back out, but he refused. Last Thursday, the Board
voted 5-0 to deny the rezoning. (You can listen to the meeting yourself at
www.johnson-county.com.)
There
were a lot of really cool things proposed in this application. There were also several
significant problems with this application. But there was a fundamental issue
at stake – the applicant doesn’t own the land! The people who do have title objected
to the rezoning. That really made this pretty simple.
This had nothing to do with the rezoning, but I do want to note
for posterity: I have received a fair amount of racist hate mail over the
years. I have gotten a few more hate letters from Posse Comitatus and other
anti-government groups. But I was called more names in the past week by
Versaland supporters than I have been in my whole 13 years as a Supervisor. That
had nothing to do with my decision in this case, but guys – this is NOT how you
win friends and influence people! (To his credit, Mr. Schultz publicly
condemned these emails.)
It was also really disappointing to me how many people I know
pretty well decided to jump to conclusions without speaking to me first. Salvos
readers – if you want to talk about Board business, just give me a call.
These
decisions are never made lightly. I hope folks will remember that good
intentions exists on all sides.
*Local Food and Agri-Tourism
So
now begins another round of internet-based bashing of Johnson County. Now we
are opposed to farms, farmers, local foods, America, apple pie, and baseball.
It
is really difficult to give small farmer what she/he wants (a 5 acre lot with a
house and no rules) without creating out of control sprawl. I have been trying
to find a set of solutions to this for years, but nobody wants to hear it. It
is easier to just claim that I oppose local food.
The
whole thing is really getting old. I am desperately seeking people who want to
solve problems rather than simply complain.
*Janesville
I recently finished the book “Janesville” by Amy Goldstein. It
tells the story of Janesville, Wisconsin from 2008-2013; a time period during
which their GM plant closed.
Janesville is the County Seat of Rock County, Wisconsin, and there
are many similarities between us and them. Rock County and Johnson County are
very close in population, and Iowa City is just a bit bigger than Janesville.
There is a rivalry between Janesville, Beloit, and Milton that is not unlike
some of the clashes we used to see between Iowa City, Coralville, and North
Liberty. Both places have (had) Lear plants. Both places are Midwestern cities
with great work ethics and great community pride.
But that is where the similarities end. Rock County was HEAVILY
dependent upon manufacturing, especially GM and its’ suppliers. In a matter of
just a couple of years, Janesville hemorrhaged over 10,000 manufacturing jobs –
each with high pay and good benefits.
Janesville is the home of House Speaker Paul Ryan. That plays a
role in this book. The election and failed recall of Scott Walker plays a role.
But more importantly, the book tells the stories of the families who lost those
manufacturing jobs.
The people of Rock County have fought back admirably; unemployment
there is only about 5%, after once sitting at 15%. But the jobs that were lost
were union jobs - $28/hour plus health insurance. The new jobs are nonunion -
$12/hour with no insurance. Income inequality in Rock County has become a
microcosm of the rest of the US. And the plans families once had are now
changed forever.
An
interesting local angle – a regular player in the book is John Beckord, who
served as President of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce before moving to
Janesville. I knew John quite well, having recruited him to serve on the Board
of Directors of The Arc of Johnson County.
We
have not suffered the same way as Janesville. But we can and should learn from
their experiences! I strongly recommend this book!
*Veteran’s Appreciation Tailgater
The
Johnson County Veteran’s Affairs Office is holding its’ annual Veteran’s Appreciation
Tailgater on Saturday, September 30 at the Kinnick Stadium Press Box. Veterans
and immediate family members are invited to watch the (away) Iowa‐Michigan
State game inside historic Kinnick Stadium on 24 TVs.
A
light lunch will be served, and information on Veteran’s benefits will be
available.
Free parking is available on the west side of the stadium. Doors
open at 2:15. There will be an opening ceremony at 2:40.
The
event is supported by: Johnson
County Commission of Veterans Affairs, along with Cedar, Henry, Jefferson,
Keokuk, Van‐Buren, Wapello, Washington, and
Wright County Veterans Affairs; Iowa City VFW Post 3949; UI Office of the
Registrar, Center for Diversity & Enrichment, Military & Veterans
Student Services, Veterans Associaon,
and Catering; Iowa State Building and Construcon
Trades
Council; Iowa Interstate Railroad, LTD; Humana; Residenal Mortgage Network—Jessica Greving; VA—Home
Loans; Swisher American Legion Family; Coralville American Legion Family; Iowa
City VA Medical Center; Law Office of Amy B. Kretkowski, PLC.
*DID YOU KNOW? Apples
are “self-incompatible”. This means you need at least two trees growing near
each other to achieve pollination.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
mentioned.
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:00 PM
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